The MASH (Multi stage noise shaping) is extensively used in timing circuits including video timing controllers, USB timing controllers, consumer and PC clocks, etc. It is used primarily in fractional dividers.
In a traditional state of the art MASH architecture the number of accumulators (adders) increases linearly with the order of the MASH (see FIG. 3). Additionally the area breakdown of a traditional state of the art MASH architecture shows a significant area is consumed by adders (see FIG. 4 showing a representative example of area).
There is a continuing desire to use higher order MASH architectures to improve the noise shaping abilities. Thus, more and more area is consumed by the accumulators. This presents a problem.